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5 Secret Ways to Exercise at the Pool

No doubt about it, swimming is great exercise: The water is 12 times more resistant than air in every direction, and when you do laps, you're using all your major muscle groups (shoulders, back, abs, legs, hips, and butt).

But swimming laps isn't the only way to exercise in the pool. In fact, these ways of toning up and burning calories are so down-low, people might not even notice that you're exercising at all!

Crunch your abs. Stand in the shallow end with your back against the side of the pool, then extend your arms along the edge. Bring your knees up to your chest, extend your legs in front of you, then bring them back to your chest again.

Pretend you're Spider-Man. Or, you know—Spiderwoman. Face the edge of the pool and fan your arms out next to you. Move them back and forth, as if you're treading water, and run your feet up and down up the pool wall.

Do the plank. Out of water, planks are known for helping stabilize your core muscles—but they can do the same when you're in water too. While standing on the pool floor, hold on to the center of a pool noodle and push down on it until your body is leaning forward at about a 45-degree angle. Try to stay in that position for about two minutes.